S&P Global unveils Digital Markets 50 Index merging cryptocurrencies with crypto-related equities, partnering with Dinari for potential token launch by year-end.
S&P Global, responsible for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones consolidated indices, has announced the launch of the S&P Digital Markets 50 Index and a potential token tracking the benchmark for direct exposure to the crypto industry.
The announcement came live on October 7 via a press release. As communicated, Dinari, a leading provider of tokenized US public securities, has collaborated with S&P Global to design the product and will be the token issuer in the case of a launch. So far, details on the token are missing, with a prior focus on how the index will work.
Overall, the plan is to launch the S&P Digital Markets 50 by the end of the year, composed of 15 cryptocurrencies and 35 stocks of publicly traded crypto-related companies. The companies’ list will include digital asset operations, infrastructure providers, financial services, blockchain applications, and supporting technologies.
Cameron Drinkwater, Chief Product & Operations Officer at S&P Dow Jones Indices, justified the move with a more mature crypto market, saying cryptocurrencies and the industry “have moved from the margins into a more established role in global markets.” “From North America to Europe to Asia,” Drinkwater continued, “market participants are beginning to treat digital assets as part of their investment toolkit – whether for diversification, growth, or innovation strategies.”
On the token launch, Anna Wroblewska, Chief Business Officer at Dinari, aims to demonstrate how the blockchain infrastructure can effectively help traditional finance markets to innovate. Making the S&P Digital Markets 50 tradeable via dShares is part of this process, according to her.
“For the first time, investors can access both US equities and digital assets in a single, transparent product. This launch shows how onchain technology can expand the reach of established financial standards, making them more efficient, accessible, and globally relevant,” Wroblewska said.
TradFi Moves Into Crypto
The intersection between crypto and TradFi only increases, with players from both sides looking to connect the two worlds somehow. Coinbase [NC], Kraken, Gemini, and Robinhood are among the crypto exchanges looking to grow their tokenized equities businesses, for example, based on coverage by The Block.
“I think tokenization is like a freight train,” Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said at Singapore’s Token2049 conference. “It can’t be stopped and eventually it’s going to eat the entire financial system,” The Block reported.
On the other hand, prominent TradFi firms like the CME Group, Nasdaq, and others are making significant moves into crypto, as Coinspeaker has been reporting. The CME Group has been trying to expand its crypto offering to around-the-clock trading together with US regulators. Nasdaq submitted an SEC filing on September 8 to allow trading of tokenized equities and ETPs on its exchange, potentially reducing settlement times and market friction through blockchain integration.
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